Elementary storage occupations n.e.c.: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time elementary storage occupations n.e.c. in the UK earned a median £35,863 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £3,176 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 184th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
Median full-time pay: women £12.49 an hour, men £15.60 an hour.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 42 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
About 75% of the roughly 8,000 employee jobs are full-time.
From £28,960 in 2021, the median is up 23.8%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 12,000 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20th percentile | £26,989 | £563.60 | £13.40 | – | – | £12.83 |
| 25th percentile | £29,073 | £587.40 | £13.98 | – | £462.00* | £13.30 |
| 30th percentile | £29,820 | £596.90 | £14.45 | £26,456* | £503.80* | £13.83 |
| 40th percentile | £31,374* | £616.60 | £14.73 | £29,587* | £587.40 | £14.68 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £35,863 | £645.10 | £15.22 | £31,589* | £616.30 | £14.98 |
| 60th percentile | £38,489* | £689.70* | £15.86 | £36,521* | £645.80* | £15.69 |
| 70th percentile | £41,162* | £807.60* | £17.41* | £39,429* | £732.70* | £17.32 |
| 75th percentile | – | – | – | – | £796.00* | £17.63* |
| Mean | £36,816 | £730.30 | £16.45 | £32,954 | £636.50 | £16.30 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £28,960* | £536.70 | £12.41 | £28,219* | £520.50* | 7* |
| 2022 revised | £27,727* | £542.70 | £12.62 | £25,709* | £529.20 | 9* |
| 2023 revised | £30,395 | £627.20 | £15.00 | £28,935 | £615.20 | 8* |
| 2024 revised | £33,371 | £634.50 | £15.00 | £29,669* | £589.60 | 8* |
| 2025 provisional | £35,863 | £645.10 | £15.22 | £31,589* | £616.30 | 8* |
Elementary storage occupations n.e.c. by region
UK: 12,000 (± 4,300), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What elementary storage occupations n.e.c. do
Job holders in this unit group supply berthed ships with water, oil and petroleum, load and unload cargo from ships, boats and barges, and perform other elementary goods handling and storage related tasks not classified elsewhere in minor group 925: Elementary storage occupations. (ONS SOC 2020, 9259)
Also covers: art handler, dock worker, general assistant (wholesale trade), labourer (haulage contractor), auctioneer's assistant, bag carrier, ballast man, ballast tipper, ballast trimmer, banana ripener, barge loader, barge trimmer, boat loader, boat trimmer, car lasher, cargo handler, cargo worker and coal heaver (119 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Attaches hoses to ship’s flow connections, starts pump to transfer oil, petroleum or water to and from a ship and uncouples hose system when loading/discharging is complete
- Arranges cargo on quayside or in hold for loading or unloading and selects appropriate hook, chain, rope, sling or other grappling attachment
- Attaches winch or crane hooks, slings, ropes or clamps to load, signals to crane driver to commence lifting, visually checks that load is balanced and ensures that route is clear for movement
- Removes grappling attachment from cargo and stows cargo in hold or loads cargo on to transport or into warehouses
- Directs the movement and operation of vehicles, such as lorries and cranes, on site
- X-rays cargo
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically provided off or on-the-job. Vocational qualifications in Warehousing and Storage at levels 1, 2 and 3 and in Port Operations at levels 2 and 3 are available.
Related
Elementary storage occupations (median £28,132) · Delivery operatives · Warehouse operatives · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026